What's so great about a medieval setting in fantasy fiction?
It's an escape to a simpler world. A low technology and thus less complicated world. Two-dimensional characters, people whom are easier to understand, is also an escape.
Meanwhile there is great hope because the hero has an ace up their sleeve. Finally there is magic and thus mysticism, which means ultimately no overriding reason to be nihilistic.
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I was wondering if anyone could recommend some dystopian fantasy?
It seems sci-fi is more usually dystopian while fantasy usually has a relatively generic medieval setting. And to the extent fantasy settings are dystopian they usually are so in a relatively uncreative way. Simply the return of our own past, with slavery, more poverty/disease and inequality.
I think ultimately I want more original well thought out dystopias such as you would get say from Brave New World, 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale that at the same time had magic in it. Such that you could have a hero with special powers which would leave a vague sense that something positive is eventually going to happen.
Sadly the only that is coming to mind (and I just went over the 1000 books in my library) is the beginning of Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy, except Menzobarranzan (sp) was really too simplistic.
What I ultimately want is a story set in a dystopia where the reader would still want to go to the books as an enjoyable escape, not out of some masochistic urge.
In sci-fi, dystopian settings are very common but the lack of magic seems to usually make it not sufficiently escapist to me personally. I suppose though that might be a better direction to be looking.
It's no wonder I haven't managed to complete any fiction writing yet. My goals are kind of unique, or close to being so anyway. If I would have been happy to write some run-of-the-mill fiction, I wouldn't have had any problem whatsoever.
I am currently stuck trying to figure out how to make a story about a sophisticated dystopia which is still highly escapist. I don't think I've ever read such a story. I guess the thing is the degree of escapism. It could be sci-fi instead and still be somewhat escapist. But without magic, it would be to me, a good deal less escapist.
It seems sci-fi is more usually dystopian while fantasy usually has a relatively generic medieval setting. And to the extent fantasy settings are dystopian they usually are so in a relatively uncreative way. Simply the return of our own past, with slavery, more poverty/disease and inequality.
I think ultimately I want more original well thought out dystopias such as you would get say from Brave New World, 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale that at the same time had magic in it. Such that you could have a hero with special powers which would leave a vague sense that something positive is eventually going to happen.
Sadly the only that is coming to mind (and I just went over the 1000 books in my library) is the beginning of Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy, except Menzobarranzan (sp) was really too simplistic.
What I ultimately want is a story set in a dystopia where the reader would still want to go to the books as an enjoyable escape, not out of some masochistic urge.
In sci-fi, dystopian settings are very common but the lack of magic seems to usually make it not sufficiently escapist to me personally. I suppose though that might be a better direction to be looking.
It's no wonder I haven't managed to complete any fiction writing yet. My goals are kind of unique, or close to being so anyway. If I would have been happy to write some run-of-the-mill fiction, I wouldn't have had any problem whatsoever.
I am currently stuck trying to figure out how to make a story about a sophisticated dystopia which is still highly escapist. I don't think I've ever read such a story. I guess the thing is the degree of escapism. It could be sci-fi instead and still be somewhat escapist. But without magic, it would be to me, a good deal less escapist.
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